Harvesting strawberry plants is a complex task that’s only partially automated.  Workers first use farming equipment to dig mature plants from the ground and remove excess soil from their roots. Farm workers then manually sort and package the plants in trimming sheds. The workers trim, count and pack the high-quality plants for shipment and discard the low-quality ones – all by hand.

Sorting quality strawberry plants from plants that are damaged, of inappropriate size, or otherwise unsuitable for growers is the most costly part of the entire production cycle.  To meet growers’ strict quality standards, plants must be of a uniform size.  Using an automated sorter will ensure more consistent plant quality and make the harvesting process more efficient.